Reflection of You ~ She Didn’t Come to Apologize

“Reflection of You” is a 2021 Korean drama, 16 episodes, categorized as Revenge, Crime, and Thriller, based on a novel, and streaming on Netflix.

 

• Memorable Quote: “A moment passes by instantly, but while drawing that moment, you get to relive it.”

SUMMARY: This present incident does not relate to that past incident. The lives of two women with painful, intertwined pasts erupt into chaos when they cross paths again because of an incident in the present.

♦ My Life is Perfect NOW!

In “Reflection of You”, Jeong Hui-Ju starts by saying that she’s not in hell … YET. But that’s all in the past. NOW she is a successful painter and essayist who seems to live an enviable life. She married An Hyeon-Seong, a respected hospital successor and school chairman, who provides security and comfort. Wealth, social standing, and a stable family ~ a teenage daughter and a young son.

Jeong Hui-Ju should be happy, shouldn’t she? So why is there dissatisfaction, little emotional fulfillment, and a feeling of being disconnected from the wonderful world she built? Could it be that her past won’t allow her to enjoy her present?

Jeong Hui-Ju’s carefully maintained life begins to shift when Gu Hae-Won (“Hannah”), a once-promising art teacher, unexpectedly reappears. Jeong Hui-Ju gives her credit for inspiring her to become a painter. Her reappearance comes about by an “incident,” and it is not a happy reunion. Gu Hae-Won works as a substitute teacher at the school that Jeong Hui-Ju’s daughter attends. She struck the daughter violently and whispered something in her ear. There’s no denying it was an act of violence, because it was caught on camera. Jeong Hui-Ju is angry, as any mother would be. To add insult to injury, Gu Hae-Won insisted that it was “discipline” and refused to apologize sincerely. Her refusal provoked Jeong Hui-Ju, and she struck Gu Hae-Won the same way her daughter had been assaulted. So Gu Hae-Won sued her. Come again?

• The teacher violently struck a student.
• The mother got angry at the teacher’s insistence that she was “disciplining” the student and also at her refusal to sincerely apologize.
• The mother should have controlled her temper, but she didn’t! She hit the teacher so hard that the teacher fell off the chair.

So the substitute teacher is suing the mother of the student for assaulting her?

Yeah. Uh huh.

Oh! That Was Your Daughter? I Didn’t Know.

The two women share a complicated history rooted in their days as artists, when admiration and friendship blurred into something more fragile. The “something” was a love triangle. Gu Hae-Won was in a relationship with Seo Woo-Jae, and she considered Jeong Hui-Ju a dear friend. That was until Jeong Hui-Ju and Seo Seo Woo-Jae betrayed her by becoming involved with each other.

In their first interaction, i.e., substitute teacher versus angry student mother, they did not recognize each other. Later on, Gu Hae-Won realized her ex-friend was a successful painter and that the student she had violently “disciplined” was her daughter. She showed up at Jeong Hui-Ju’s home on her knees. Gu Hae-Won said she came to apologize because she didn’t know the student was her daughter. Jeong Hui-Ju told her not to tie the past to the present. She’s still angry that her daughter was hurt and is not ready to accept her apology. Gu Hae-Won said she would drop the lawsuit. But it didn’t matter. Jeong Hui-Ju was still angry.

Gu Hae-Won’s return is unsettling from the start, and her interactions with Jeong Hui-Ju carry an undercurrent of unresolved tension. She said she came to her home to apologize. But Jeong Hui-Ju realizes that is not her true intention.

Why is She Here?

Why did Gu Hae-Won come back? The buried secrets are slowly resurfacing. Jeong Hui-Ju may not want the past and present to be connected, but the boundaries that divide the timeline begin to blur. Their renewed connection stirs memories, regrets, and vulnerabilities that Jeong Hui-Ju had tried to suppress.

The situation grows even more complicated when Seo Woo-Jae reenters the picture. His presence forces both women to confront feelings they have avoided for years. There is longing, resentment, and unfinished business.

• Gu Hae-Won’s intentions appear ambiguous, sometimes sympathetic, sometimes unsettling. But she’s clearly out for revenge. She manipulates situations, exposes secrets, and tries hard to destabilize Jeong Hui-Ju’s perfect family.
• Seo Woo-Jae’s reappearance draws out truths that have long remained buried. He has fragmented memories. But he gradually recalls Jeong Hui-Ju’s betrayal and the emotional devastation it caused him.
• Jeong Hui-Ju desperately struggles to maintain control over the life she has so carefully curated, i.e., trying to “keep up appearances”.

As for An Hyeon-Seong, Jeong Hui-Ju’s husband? He also wants to maintain control over their life. He knows more than they think he knows. Additionally, he has buried secrets that they don’t know. An Hyeon-Seong loves his wife, but he’s possessive, protective, and afraid of losing her. He is also concerned with “keeping up appearances” and justifies anything he does because it’s “for the family”.

Main Characters:

• Jeong Hui-Ju (played by Ko Hyun-Jung, “Queen Mantis”, “Namib”, “The Great Queen Seondeok”, “My Lawyer, Mr. Joe 2”)
• Gu Hae-Won (played by Shin Hyun-Bin, “Beasts Clawing At Straws”)
• Seo Woo-Jae (played by Kim Jae-Young, “Idol I”, “My Lovely Journey”, “The Judge from Hell”, “Love in Contract”, “Secret Boutique”)
• An Hyeon-Seong (played by Choi Won-Young, “Mystic Pop-Up Bar”, “Hierarchy”, “Twinkling Watermelon”, “Under the Queen’s Umbrella”, “Moonshine”, “Nokdu Flower”, “Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth”, “Doctor Prisoner”, “Oh, the Mysterious”, “Mad Dog”, “Diary Of A Night Watchman”)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 6.7 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 7.3 out of 10 stars

My personal rating is 8 out of 10 stars.

“Reflection of You” is based on the novel Someone Who Looks Like You by Jung So-hyeon. I usually like Korean dramas that are adapted from a novel. This one is not an exception. The first episode laid the groundwork, and my curiosity was piqued. I definitely wanted to know what “incident” happened between these two women. Some reviewers complained because they thought the pace was too slow. Eh! At least I understood the moral of the story. Revenge does not taste sweet. Revenge is toxic!

LINKS OF INTEREST:

Review | K-drama review: Reflection of You, dreary Netflix melodrama indulges in explosive, but unearned, finale | South China Morning Post

Final Review: Reflection of You (JTBC, 2021). | The Cat That Watches TV

Reflection of You. Series Review | ahjummamshies

K-Drama Review: ‘Reflection of You’: A Breathtaking Psychological Thriller. | ZAPZEE – Premier Korean Entertainment Magazine

TRAILER/TEASER:

Netflix Malaysia. “Reflection of You.” YouTube, 30 Sep. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3hpJM3I724.

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